610E Wins VEX Robotics World Championships

“Nine months of preparation and two days competing with champion teams from all over the world… We made it! We are the world champions!” Middle School robotics teacher Tony Qian shared these words of triumph following the 2022 VEX Robotics World Championships on May 9. Hester Li and Yuhong Chen, two Grade 7 members of Team 610E, won the Teamwork Challenge World Champion, Division Champion, and Think awards. 

“As I saw the scores, my heart nearly leaped out of my chest,” said Li. “Our opponents had just missed a total of more than six balls, whereas we had only missed two.” The accomplishment has extra meaning to the team: earlier in the year, they weren’t sure whether the event would take place at all after the in-person competition was cancelled.

Team 610E had a strong season overall, shooting up to first place from ninth in February after a VEX IQ Robotics world remote tournament. They went on to take the gold medal at a late April VEX Skills Robotics Competition, solidifying their reputation as strong competitors. And the competition isn’t over — this most recent win pre-qualifies 610E for the 2022/23 VEX Robotics World Championships in Dallas, Texas next April.